


Sanders Sides (Giant/tiny stories)

by MissPolarBear



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: Borrowers - Freeform, Fear, Fluff, G/T, GT, Giant/Tiny, Giants, Humans, One Shot, Prinxiety - Freeform, Short Stories, TINY - Freeform, borrower, tinies, tiny!Remus, tiny!deceit, tiny!logan, tiny!patton, tiny!roman, tiny!virgil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2020-08-10 06:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20130910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissPolarBear/pseuds/MissPolarBear
Summary: So I’m really interested in the concept of borrowers and tiny people, so I thought, hey, why not combine that with that other thing I really like?Basically a bunch of unedited g/t one shots that I write about Sanders Sides :)





	1. Logince and an injury

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey hey who doesn’t love some good old Logince and the nervousness that usually accompanies g/t stories ;)

Roman had gone borrowing thinking that it would be quick.

All he needed was to dash up to the cabinets, grab some pieces of cereal, and be back in fifteen minutes, more or less.

Yet as he was climbing his string, only an inch or two away from the open cabinet, _his hook slipped._

The second he felt himself falling he yelped and lurched forward, trying to grab onto the wood, but his fingers only grazed over and he went plummeting.

For a split second he was completely in the air; then he hit the counter with a _crack,_ feeling his entire body go horribly numb. All the air was gone from his lungs and he heaved, trying to breathe. He was vaguely aware of the hook clattering down next to him.

He laid there for several minutes, simply staring up at the cabinet, shakily taking deep breaths and trying to ignore the screaming pain in his leg. He refused to look down, knowing that the second he saw the wound the truth of it all would come crashing down on him, so he simply stayed where he was, breathing in and out, in and out, in and out.

Roman was only yanked back into reality by the sound of the front door opening.

He let out a sharp hiss as he sat up, his heart racing. The human bean was home and he was _laying here doing nothing._

He attempted to stand up but very quickly that was proven to be very difficult, if not impossible. He crumpled to the counter, the pain in his leg flaring up like a wildfire. Roman whimpered, trying to inch to the wall, even if he knew in the bottom of his heart it would provide no cover.

He was going to be caught.

The human entered the kitchen, and Roman glanced at him, his heart pounding erratically. His entire body was frozen, unable to move from both fear and pain. The human hadn’t noticed him yet.

He must have just gotten back from the store. The human set down a few grocery bags on the table, moving closer to the counter. Roman was about to think _this can’t get any worse_— but then the human locked eyes with him and he knew that it definitely could get much, _much_ worse.

The human flinched, obviously started to see a tiny man on his counter. His blue eyes widened behind his glasses. “Hello?” He said after a moment, softly and carefully.

Roman wondered briefly if the human’s soft tone was due to his very obvious terror. He was propped up on his elbows, having a staring contest with a human much larger than him, but he knew if he continued trembling he would eventually collapse.

The human’s eyes flickering over his form. They lingered on his leg, twisted and beginning to swell. “Oh. _Oh. _You’re hurt.“ He moved closer, and that’s what finally prompted Roman to take action.

“Stay back!” Roman snapped, flinching back. He had wanted his voice to be sharp and tough, but it had come out very weak.

The human paused. His eyes hardened, sending Roman’s heart to his stomach. “I won’t hurt you,” he assured him, inching closer. “I just want to assist you.”

“Don’t come _any closer!” _Roman all but shrieked, shaking like a leaf as the human reached the counter. Tears pricked at his eyes but he refused to cry in front of a giant. “I’m warning you!”

The human stopped again, releasing a sigh. “I understand that you may be afraid, but you are clearly injured. Your health is important, especially with an injury like this. It needs to be treated quickly.” His eyes trailed upwards to the slightly ajar cabinet before flickering down to Roman.

“I’m not— I’m don’t want help from a human!” Roman cried out, still trying to drag himself back. “I’ll be fine! I can fix it myself! Stay away _what are you doing?!“_

Two hands descended around him, carefully scooping him up. Roman shrieked, attempting to pull himself away, but it was no use. The fingers held him with careful accuracy, but he couldn’t push the idea that they could _drop_ him or _crush _him or—

“It’s okay,” the human said gently. “I promise no harm will befall on you. I’m only going to fix your leg, and that’s it.”

“N-No!” Roman struggled, but he knew that even if he somehow got out of the (surprisingly gentle) grip, he couldn’t make it far with his damaged leg. His voice fell into a whimper and he sank down into the fingers cupped around him, not able to rid himself of the ever-persistent trembling.

So, this is it.

A small part of him genuinely believed that the human would help him— but what then? Would he be kept as a pet? Sold? Perhaps this is just some sick game and he would be killed directly after. He shuddered at the thought.

The human shifted him into one hand as he walked, approaching the bathroom. He pulled a white box from the sink cabinet before exiting the bathroom and moving to the table.

Roman found himself being set down on the table, and a bit of pain heightened in his leg. He winced.

The human suddenly froze. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Roman peered down at his leg before hesitantly responding. “N-No, it’s the same.”

The human exhaled softly, as if he was relieved. Off to the side he opened the white box, taking out a few items, including gauze pads and disinfectant. Roman eyed the supplies, thinking that if he somehow made it out of this, he should definitely find a way to get access to that white box.

As the human applied disinfectant to a cotton ball, he spoke up, “So, do you have a name? I’m Logan.”

Roman flinched, not expecting him to speak. At this point he had figured out that he wasn’t going to be killed, at least not immediately. “...Roman,” he responded warily.

“It’s nice to meet you, Roman, although it would have been more desirable to meet under different circumstances.”

Roman eyed Logan suspiciously but said nothing.

After a second or two Logan turned back to Roman, holding the cotton ball between his fingers. “I need to disinfect the injury,” he explained. “It might sting a little. Are you okay with that?”

“No,” Roman growled back, but he fell silent. After a moment or two he muttered, “go ahead.” Logan nodded.

The human gently moved the cotton ball to Roman leg’s. Roman’s heart pounded at the sudden proximity, but his attention was quickly pulled back to his leg as the disinfectant made contact, sending a stinging sensation through his entire leg. “Wh-!” Roman flinched, biting his lip.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m _fine_.”

After a minute Logan pulled the cotton away, setting it aside. The rest of the procedure went by fairly quickly; after ten minutes or so, Roman had a splint and gauze wrapped around his leg.

“You’ll want to leave that on for a few days,” Logan told him, setting the supplies back in the box. Roman pulled his leg back towards himself, sitting up and suddenly watching Logan very warily.

What happens now?

Logan shut the box, glancing back at Roman. “The splint should help to walk, but I would avoid putting too much pressure on it, otherwise it will take longer to heal.” Roman took a deep breath and nodded, before deciding to avoid the inevitable.

“So, what do you want?”

Logan blinked, appearing startled. “What?”

Roman swallowed before rephrasing himself. “Well, are y-you going to let me go?”

Logan looked momentarily confused. “Of course. I was under the impression you have somewhere to get back to, because you obviously don’t live here.”

Roman stared for several seconds. “...oh.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“I don’t know, I guess.” Roman shrugged, trying not to jostle his leg too much. “I always thought most humans would, I don’t know, wanna keep me or something.”

A dark expression crossed Logan’s face but he quickly pushed it away with a shake of the head. “No, I would never do that. That’s inhumane. Especially since you’ve proved to have the capability and intelligence to thrive on your own.“

Roman blinked in surprise. After a very long second he straightened up. “Thanks. For, uh, fixing me up. And sorry for kinda freaking out earlier.”

Logan gave him a smile. “You’re welcome. And don’t worry about it, I’m sure I would act the same if I was in your situation.”

After a moment or two Roman shifted, testing the weight on his foot. He pulled himself to his feet, but he hadn’t prepared for his foot to give out. He fell. “Woah!”

However, Roman landed not on the ground, but on the hand that had darted out to catch him. Logan watched him worriedly as he leaned against his fingers for support, still unsure about touching a human’s hand.

“Oh! Uh— thanks,” Roman said, gently setting his foot down. He straightened up, balancing his arm against the hand next to him as he tested his weight. His leg still hurt slightly, but definitely less than before. After a second or two he gave Logan a nod, and the human moved his hand away but still kept an eye on him in case he collapsed again.

Roman took a few steps before grinning up at Logan, gesturing to himself as he stood. Logan chuckled. “You’re doing great.”

“I _know!”_ Roman breathed, walking around a bit more. “Honestly when I hurt my leg I had thought that I wasn’t going to be able to walk again or something!”

Logan glanced back to the cabinet across the room. “Did you fall from the cabinet?” He asked, judging the distance to the counter and trying to imagine what that had been like for someone only a few inches tall.

“Yeah, I was just on my way to grab some cerea—“ Roman stopped suddenly, glancing up at Logan. Only then did he remember that he was in the presence of a human, and chills ran down his spine. How could he forget?

Logan paused, reading Roman’s suddenly panicked expression and the way he nervously took a few steps back. “...Cereal?” He prompted. Roman hesitantly nodded and looked away. “I could get you some, if you’d like.”

Roman snapped his head up, meeting Logan’s eyes. “Wait, really?” He asked in disbelief.

“Sure, why not? It wouldn’t be a bother to me and you need it.”

Roman read Logan’s expression over and over, trying to find any traces of deceit, but the human was genuine. A smile crossed his face.

“That’d be great.”


	2. Borrower!Logan and Human!Patton? you know it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i LOVE Logicality with my entire soul <3
> 
> anyways here’s the story! It’s not my best sorry haha

It had all happened so quickly.

The surprise, the stumbling back before a tall clear glass was dropped on top of him.

Now, Logan was pressed against the back of the glass, clutching his borrowing bag as he stared up at the human who captured him.

Wide brown eyes behind dark frames stared at him, full of confusion and surprise and what could only be caution. That surprised Logan. Why would a human be afraid of a borrower?

“What are you?” The human breathed, shifting to see Logan better. Logan shrank back, trying to keep himself from shaking too much. All he had to do was wait for the human to lift the glass— it had to happen eventually, right?— and then he could try and make a break for it. The hole in the wall was close behind him, just behind the coffee machine on the counter.

Then his hope deflated when he thought about how quickly this human had moved the glass over him. There was no way he could get that far without being snatched up.

A second later Logan remembered the human was waiting for an answer. He shifted slightly, trying to decide whether he should answer or not.

On the one hand, if he didn’t, the human might become disinterested and leave him alone long enough to escape by himself.

On the other hand, if he did speak, he might be able to convince the human to move the glass. That seemed much more likely.

Logan cleared his throat before answering. “Tired,” he snarked back before he could stop himself. He wasn’t usually one for sarcasm, but he had not gotten much sleep in the past few days, and now he was trapped under a glass. He wasn’t in the best mood.

The human flinched, looking surprised that he had actually answered. “Oh, I-I’m sorry, that was rude. Uh, what’s your name?”

Logan raised an eyebrow. This human was apologizing to _him_? Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Although he wasn’t sure if he should share his name. He had already broken a borrower code by speaking, so he wasn’t exactly sure what he was allowed to say. He finally decided that nothing could really be done with just his name. “Logan,” he replied, keeping his gaze on the ground. Why on earth did this have to happen to him? This human didn’t seem intent on wanting to hurt him, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be kept as some sort of pet.

“Hey, Logan,” the human said with a soft smile. “I’m Patton.” After a second or two he asked, “Are you... real?”

Logan let out a hoarse laugh. “I can assure you, I’m real.”

“Oh. Well, are you, um, like, a shrunken person, or...?”

“I was born like this,” Logan replied simply. Patton seemed to take the hint not to push him further.

“...If I lift the glass, do you promise not to run off?”

Logan blinked. Well, that was surprisingly fast. “I promise,” he said, knowing that the promise would inevitably be broken.

Patton exhaled before slowly removing the glass and setting it aside. Logan straightened up, suddenly very aware of how close he was to Patton, and how easily Patton could scoop him up. The glass had provided a safe barrier, even if he hadn’t realized it, and now that barrier was gone.

“So...” Patton turned back to him. Logan took a step back, hating the feel of his gaze on him. His heart pounded in his ears. “Why are you here?”

It took Logan a minute to process the question. He was too focused on his shaking to come up with a believable lie, so he forced out the only words that he could come up with. “I needed food, so I was on my way to get some.”

“Wait, do you not have food?”

Logan shrugged, still trying to decide if he should make a break for it or not. “More or less.”

Patton blinked. “You could have asked me,” he said after a moment.

Logan’s heart dropped. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would bother you,” he said quickly, gripping his borrowing bag tightly.

Patton seemed to take notice of his fear and backtracked, eyes wide. “No, no, I’m not mad!” He clarified. “I just meant you could have asked me to get it for you. You don’t have to do all his by yourself.”

Logan blinked, regaining himself. _Oh_. Then his eyes narrowed. “I thank you for your offer, but I don’t need help.” He then bit his lip. He really needed to learn how to hold his tongue in front of a giant.

Patton studied him for a second or two. If he took note of Logan’s sharp words, he didn’t acknowledge them. “Would you like to get back to... whatever you were doing?”

Logan blinked. “...Yes, actually.”

Patton smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, then. I don’t want you to go hungry or anything because of me.”

..._What_.

Patton straightened up, taking a step away from the counter. “See you around, Logan!” He gave another smile before turning and leaving the room, the borrower still standing frozen.

Logan watched the empty doorway, but Patton didn’t reappear. Was this a joke? Was he going to come back and try and catch him in the act? What was going on?

He finally regained himself and bolted for the coffee machine, ducking behind it to sprint into the walls. He finally stopped, resting one hand against the wall.

He had been caught by a human, and then the human had let him go.

His surprise and relief was quickly replaced by confusion. Why _had_ Patton let him go? Was it possible he had stumbled upon a good human?

Logan took a deep breath, a warm feeling beginning to develop in his chest.

Maybe this won’t be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly? My favorite G/T scenario is just the simple, blatant scene of a human finding a borrower and accidentally scaring them. I LIVE for that.
> 
> Although I should clarify that I’m willing to write other stuff! (As long as we keep it pretty PG, maybe PG-13 if I’m feeling brave, you know haha) like fairies, shrinking, giants, other borrower scenarios you know the drill


	3. Patton, the perfect wingman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton is a good friend and an even better wingman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I love angsty stories, I’m always down for some romance-y fluff ;)

Virgil had left his phone on the counter.

He had left five minutes ago in a hurry, promising his borrower friend Patton that he’d be back in about an hour or two, and he must have forgotten it. Patton found himself looking down at the device, a little taller than him, wondering if Virgil would need it.

After a second or two he concluded that Virgil would only be gone for an hour. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if he left it, right?

Patton hummed, passing the device on his way to the fruit bowl, planning on borrowing a few grapes. His food supply was mostly cookies that he and Virgil baked together, and this morning he reluctantly decided he should actually consider eating a fruit for once.

He was making his way back, munching on a grape, when a sudden sound startled him. It took him a few seconds to register that the sharp sound was Virgil’s phone ringing.

He approached the phone, curiously peering down at the screen.

The name Roman was displayed over the screen, accompanied by a picture of a smiling dude wearing a red and white outfit and pointing finger guns. Patton blinked.

_Roman. _Hadn’t Virgil mentioned his name before? Several times, actually. It seemed like Virgil always had something positive to say about his college classmate. When Patton had teased his human friend about his obvious crush, Virgil’s cheeks tinted pink and he turned away.

A grin settled over Patton’s face and pressed the answer button without thinking. There was a pause when he froze and realized what he’d done, than a confused sounding voice came from the phone.

“...Virgil? You there?”

“Oh! Uh—“ Patton cleared his throat, trying to speak louder. “Hi there.”

“Wh— you’re not Virgil. Unless you are Virgil and you have a cold or something,” Roman laughed.

Patton grinned. He could see why Virgil liked him. “No, I’m Patton. He left his phone with me. I’m his...” he hesitated. “I’m his neighbor.”

“Ah.” There was a shuffling on the other line. “Nice to meet you, Patton! When you see Virgil can you tell him to stop by my place and pick up his books? He left them at the school so I held on to them. I didn’t want anyone to take them or anything.”

Patton tilted his head. “Oh, I’m pretty sure he just left to check the school.” He let out a chuckle. “Don’t worry, he should be back in an hour or so. I’ll let him know then.” It was surprisingly easy to talk to humans when he didn’t have to see them face to face.

“Thank you!” Roman didn’t say any more, however he didn’t hang up yet.

“No problem,” Patton said, unable to keep the smile off his face. Virgil would _definitely _kill him for this, but... “You know, Virgil talks about you a lot.”

Patton heard a small breath on the other line. “He does?”

“Absolutely! He spent at least a good hour talking about how great you were in the school play.” Patton sat down, leaning against the phone.

Roman let out a breathy laugh. “Oh. Well that’s— that’s nice of him. Tell him I said thanks. And, uh, some people say I talk about him a lot, too, so...” he coughed. “If he ever wants to talk or anything, he can always call me. Uh, anyways, thanks Patton. I gotta go now, though.”

Patton couldn’t stop grinning. “Alrighty! I’ll let him know. See you around!”

“Bye, Patton!”

“Bye, Roman!” Patton sang, pressing the button to end the call.

He then found himself waving his hands around delightedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I knew it!” He called out to the house. “I _knew_ Roman would like him back!”

He sighed happily, sitting down on the counter next to the phone. With a smile, he glanced towards the door. He couldn’t _wait _for Virgil to get home.

——

“You did _what_?“ Virgil gasped.

Patton grinned up at Virgil, placing his hands on his hips. “I just mentioned to Roman that you seem to like him,” he said with a shrug.

Virgil leaned against the wall perpendicular to the counter, eyes wide. “_Why_.”

“You gotta tell him at some point, kiddo!” Patton laughed. “Oh, and guess what?”

“...What?”

“He said he talks about you a lot, too! You should have heard his voice, he was totally in love with you,” Patton teased. Virgil’s cheeks flushed pink and covered his face in his hands.

After a second or two he peered at Patton through his sleeves. “Did... did he say anything else?” He asked sheepishly.

“He said he wants to talk to you!” Patton squealed.

“Wh— no he didn’t.”

“Yep! You should call him and confess your feelings!”

Virgil rapidly shook his head. “Nope. Nope. Absolutely not.”

Patton grinned. “Well, that doesn’t matter, because you’re gonna have to go visit him, anyways.”

“What?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you need a tiny Patton in your life   
✋✋✋


	4. Tiny garbage bastard rat man (and Logan)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tiny that shows up at Dr. Logan’s lab is a little... odd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A suggestion from @yalltookmyusernameideas for Logan and a tiny Remus!  
(I love the username btw)
> 
> This was SO FUN to write because with Remus I didn’t have to worry about crossing the line because there WAS NO line
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS! Mention of dissection, mention of broken ribs, implied sexual content???? I’m not really sure (Depends how you interpret it I suppose)
> 
> Just Remus being Remus

Dr. Logan Sanders handled the small box very carefully, gently setting it on the table. The sides of the box were covered in the words “Fragile! Living cargo!” but it seemed like whoever dropped the box off at the lab didn’t care too much.

Logan carefully opened the box, peeking inside. To his surprise the tiny was standing up, hands on his hips as he grinned up at Logan. “Why, _hello _there!” He exclaimed, which only startled Logan more.

Tinies were usually _terrified_, but once Logan had the chance to explain to them they weren’t going to be hurt at the lab, they would calm down. However, this tiny seemed gleeful as ever to be here.

“Well?” The tiny prompted. “Are you gonna let me out or not?”

“I, uh— right.” Logan carefully tilted the box on his side, a tactic he had learned tinies preferred more than being picked up. The tiny scrambled out, looking around at the table. It was empty except for a few papers.

“_Lovely_ to meet you, I’m Remus!” The tiny spun towards Logan, the large comical grin still plastered over his face. He held out his hand expectantly.

Logan blinked several times. This has got to be the strangest thing he’d ever experienced. Tentatively he touched his finger to Remus’s hand and allowed the tiny to shake it vigorously. “I’m Dr. Logan Sanders. You’re at this lab to—“

“Oooooooh!” Remus flung himself forward, draping himself over Logan’s hand. Logan resisted the urge to flinch away. Remus rolled onto his back, feet dangling. “What’re you gonna do? Dissect me?”

“Absolutely n—“

“Am I gonna have to drink some sparkly chemical and grow seven extra arms?” Remus asked, sounding genuinely thrilled.

Logan stared, eyes wide, at the tiny still laying in his hand. Remus stood up in his palm. “_Eight _extra arms?”

“No, no, you’re not—“ Logan pinched his nose with his other hand. “You’re not going to be experimented on.”

“Awww, why not?” Remus jumped off his hand, landing on the table and beginning to walk.

“Because—? Why would you _want _to be experimented on?” Logan asked exasperatedly. “You could be hurt severely, if not killed.”

“But what’s the point of being in a _lab_ if I don’t get to do the _fun_ _stuff?” _Remus was still walking, becoming suspiciously farther away. Logan leaned over and scooped up the tiny to stop him from running off completely.

Remus blinked in surprise before grinning up at him again. “Ah, so maybe we will get to have fun!” He crowed, grabbing onto Logan’s thumb. “How hard do you think you have to squeeze before my ribs break?”

“Wh—“ Logan, in all his life, had _never_ met a tiny like this. Or human, for that matter. “Listen, Remus,” he sighed heavily.

Remus wriggled slightly. “Ooh, you’re strong,” he said slyly, narrowing his eyes gleefully at Logan. Logan felt his stomach twist but he resisted the urge to immediately drop the tiny back into the box. “I bet you could really hurt me if you tried...”

“_Remus_.”

“Hm? Sorry, I was distracted by your teeth—“

“Remus, you’re not going to be hurt or experimented on, this is a _humane_ lab where we will study your behavior and habits. Very rarely will you even be handled.”

Remus’s smile only grew. “You’re handling me now.”

“Because you’re not cooperating.” Logan typically tried to avoid being stern or cold towards tinies, but he could make an exception. “You’re going to be moved to a holding tank for a day or two after this.”

“Why’d you take me out now, then, doc?”

Logan sighed. “...to take notes on your height, weight, and other behaviors.”

“Am I gonna stay in your hand?” Remus asked coyly, leaning forward eagerly. “Because I don’t mind.”

Logan set him down quickly.

This was going to take a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh that was one of my favorites to write, like, ever
> 
> To everyone that suggested a prompt! I have all of your suggestions written down and I plan to write all of them, although they won’t be in any particular order. A lot of them may take a while to write, too, so it may take a while for them to come out!


	5. Getting Along (part one)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A prompt from @TheUltimateMomFriend! Roman and Logan are borrowers who argue a lot and Virgil and Patton are humans who DON’T argue a lot. Thank you for the prompt! I loved writing this one.

“You’re never careful! Are you trying to get caught?!”

“At least I don’t waste my time trying to make useless schedules! Not everything can be calculated, Logan!”

Logan wasn’t sure when he and Roman had started arguing; but now that they were in the heat of the moment, they couldn’t get out of it. It wasn’t uncommon for the two borrowers to start arguing over trivial things.

“I make plans to keep both of us safe!” Logan threw his hands in the air. “You just go out and about waiting for the humans to catch you. You’re putting both of us in danger!”

“I don’t need a plan because I know what I’m doing!” Roman hissed back. “May I remind you I’m older than you?”

“By a few months!”

“Well, I haven’t been caught yet, have I?”

Logan dragged a hand down his face before whirling around. “That’s it. I’m leaving.”

“Oh, so now that I’m winning the argument, you storm off?”

Logan said nothing, but he showed him quite a rude gesture with his hands as he left.

Roman huffed, leaning against the wall. Logan would be back soon, he knew. This wasn’t the first time one of their fights led to one of them storming out.

The borrower rolled his eyes and decided to wait for Logan to return.

——

Logan was still fuming as he made his way through the tunnels.

He liked Roman a lot— they were best friends, of course— but he could just be so _frustrating_. He just didn’t care about borrowing as much as Logan!

Logan and Roman had lived and borrowed together ever since they were young. This led to them being totally inseparable, but both of them grew to be very stubborn, and unsurprisingly, their personalities clashed. A lot. 

Logan found a few grooves in the tunnels and began to climb. He knew this vertical tunnel led to one of the cabinets. Maybe he could grab a cracker while he was here, even though he didn’t know where either of the humans were.

Unlike Roman, Logan always made sure he knew exactly where the humans were before he went borrowing. It just made the borrowing process much safer. However, now he was feeling irritated and was ready to do something rash.

Eventually he reached a small hole and pulled himself through into the confines of the cabinet. He took a moment to steady himself, listening for any noises outside.

He may be feeling daring right now, but he wasn’t stupid.

Once he was certain nobody was outside, he made his way over to the box of crackers. He placed his hands on his hips as he thought about what to do.

He typically tried to borrow when neither of the humans were home, so that he didn’t have to worry about being quiet. However, he was pretty sure both humans were sleeping right now, because it was about nine in the morning. He didn’t want to risk waking them up by making any loud noises.

But if they were asleep in the other rooms, what was the chance of them hearing him messing with the box? With a huff, he got to work.

Logan steadied himself before pushing against the box of crackers. After a moment or two the box shifted, beginning to tilt. With a final heave, the box fell over, the crackers inside audibly knocking against each other as it hit the ground.

Logan tensed, once again listening for any movement, but it was quiet.

He moved to the opening in the box, prying open the flaps. He reached inside, pulling out a cracker roughly half his height. Piece by piece, he began to break off chunks and stuff them in his bag.

He heard someone outside just a second too late.

Light flooded the cabinet and he cursed under his breath, darting behind the closest thing to him, a round container of popcorn kernels. Biting his lip, he tried to make himself as small as possible, doing his best to stay out of view.

“What’s this?” A close voice murmured. Logan flinched instinctively, peeking over at the overturned box of crackers. The remains of the cracker he was breaking up was still out in the open. A cold feeling settling in his stomach, he clutched his bag.

A hand came into view, picking up the broken cracker with ease. They twirled it slightly, the human obviously trying to understand what had happened.

Logan couldn’t pinpoint which human this was; he was too tense to focus on their voice. He knew their names, but at the moment he couldn’t recall either of them.

The human hummed, setting the box back up before removing the cracker, presumably throwing it out in the trash can below the cabinet.

For half a second Logan thought he would leave— then the container behind him moved out of the way.

Logan reacted in a panic, seizing his bag and attempting to duck behind the container once more, but he locked eyes with the human and found himself paralyzed. His feet glued themself to the floor, unable to move.

The human’s brown eyes were wide with surprise. His hand was still holding the container, and Logan realized he must have moved it without realizing Logan was there. Suddenly very aware of the hand mere inches away from him, his instincts kicked in and he bolted.

“W-wait!”

Logan barely made it a few inches before he slammed into something— the human’s hand, stopping his path. His feet skidded as he attempted to back up, but the human’s other hand was behind him, carefully placed so that he couldn’t run off in either direction. His heart pounded wildly as the hands closed in on him, scooping him up into the human’s palms.

_No no no no no no—!_

He thrashed against the human’s grip, attempting to push the fingers away from him, but to no use. The human slowly brought him out from the cabinet, bringing him into the light. Logan eyes snapped shut, trembling hands gripping his bag as he waited for the inevitable.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurtcha.”

Logan flinched at his voice but refused to look up at him. He despised the feel of the hands around him, the warm and secure grip only sending his already panicked mind into a frenzy. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

“Shhh, it’s okay, you’re okay.”

Logan peeked one eye open, slowly looking up to meet the human’s gaze. Behind their glasses their eyes were soft and full of concern. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay?”

Logan stayed silent, ducking his head to avoid looking at him. It was hard to sit comfortably, for the human’s hands were slightly tilted as if he was holding water, so he held his bag in his lap and pulled his legs close to himself.

“I’m Patton. Do you have a name?”

Logan trembled. What was the human doing? Why handed he killed him yet? Why was he just talking?

The human paused, but when Logan still said nothing, he continued. “What are you?”

Logan couldn’t resist sending the human a glare before ducking his head again, praying that the human hadn’t noticed.

“Ah, sorry,” Patton said sheepishly. “That was rude.”

Wait, the human was apologizing? He swallowed hard, his grip tightening on the straps of his bag. The world around him was starting to feel dizzy.

Before Patton could talk again, another voice entered the kitchen.

“Hey, Patton, do you have my—?”

The other human froze, their hand on the doorway. There eyes were wide as they caught sight of Patton and Logan.

“Virgil,” Patton spoke in a hushed voice, tilting his head. “Come here. But whisper.”

Logan wanted to object but he stayed silent. Why did there have to be two humans?! He shrank in on himself, both arms wrapped around his bag.

Virgil approached cautiously, wide eyes not leaving Logan’s small form. “Patton,” he said slowly. “What is going on.”

“I found him in the cabinet,” Patton said softly. “He won’t say anything. I’m afraid he might be hurt or something.”

_I’m right here!_ Logan thought indignantly.

“Are you sure he can even understand you?” Virgil said doubtfully.

“I... I think so. He sometimes reacts like he can understand me.”

“Hey, little dude, can you understand us?” Virgil asked curiously. Logan shot him a look but said nothing. Virgil turned to Patton with a shrug. “Yeah, I have no idea.”

Virgil raised a hand, approaching Logan slowly. Logan flinched, dragging himself back in panic. When a finger gently touched his shoulder he shoved it away, hissing angrily.

Virgil snapped his hand back, eyes wide and semi-amused. “Okay, so no touching. Got it.”

Patton shifted slightly. “Um, little guy, I’m gonna put you down. Please don’t run off.” Logan lifted his head, surprised.

Patton lowered his hands to the counter and Logan wasted no time scrambling off. He slung his hand over his shoulder, taking a few steps back as he peered suspiciously up at the humans.

“So, what are you?” Virgil asked. Patton frowned.

Logan once again refused to speak, instead looking around for ways to escape. He knew there was a hole in the wall somewhere behind him, but he didn’t want to risk running away.

“So, not a talker then, that’s fine.” Virgil quirked a smile as he glanced at Patton. “Patton says I’m not much of a talker either.”

“I didn’t say that exactly!” Patton said, suddenly flustered. “You’re just... introverted. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“No worries, Popstar. No feelings were hurt.” Virgil glanced at Logan again, leaning closer. “So, are you—?”

“Get away from him, you fiends!”

Logan jumped in surprise as Roman threw himself in front of him, brandishing his sewing needle like a sword. The borrower was breathing heavily, as if he had run here.

Both Virgil and Patton flinched, clearly not expecting another tiny person to make an appearance. “Wh-what?” Patton whispered, eyes as wide as saucers.

Roman held his hand out, holding his arm in front of Logan. “I’ll fight you!” He threatened, waving the needle around.

Logan sighed. He appreciated the help from Roman, but by helping him Roman was both showing himself and revealing they could talk. He was already pretty certain these humans would let him go before Roman showed up.

“We’re not gonna—“ Patton started, clearly alarmed.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Virgil commented, raising an eyebrow. “Who are you?”

Roman stepped forward daringly, pointing his needle directly at Virgil. “I’ll never tell you my name, you evil— ahh!” He jumped back as Virgil shifted, throwing himself back in surprise. He regained himself quickly. “F-fiend!”

“Virgil, don’t scare them,” Patton scolded.

“I’m not scared!” Roman shouted. Logan moved closer, giving Roman an odd look.

“Roman, you can knock it off,” he sighed. “I’m fairly certain we aren’t in any immediate danger.”

“Lies!” Roman grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back. “That’s exactly what they would want you to think!”

Patton and Virgil shared a look, as if deciding what to do. Patton glanced back at them.

“Uh, well, I’m Patton,” he introduced himself. “This is Virgil. I’m guessing you can speak, then?”

Finally deciding it was no use hiding it, Logan nodded. It was still unnerving to meet the human’s eyes, but he did it anyway. “I’m Logan,” he said, despite Roman’s gasp. “This is Roman.” Roman groaned.

“Are you guys friends?” Virgil teased.

Logan and Roman shared a look.

“Of course,” Roman snapped back.

“Although we have very different views a majority of the time you could say that, yes, we are friends.” Logan peered up at him. “How is that relevant to our current situation?”

“Just wondering,” Virgil shrugged, eyes narrowed in amusement.

“Now, we’re leaving, whether you like it or not!” Roman announced, his needle still held threateningly. “If you try and stop us, you will be forced to face the consequences!”

Virgil looked like he was about to make a sarcastic comment but he glanced at Patton and stayed quiet. The humans watched as the borrowers slowly backed towards the exit in the wall.

“Will we see you again?” Patton asked softly, obviously upset to see them go.

“Absolutely not!” Roman shot back.

Logan, on the other hand, was torn. He knew it was wrong to spend time with humans, but these humans didn’t seem dangerous. Also, it was quite amusing to see Virgil make Roman mad.

“Maybe,” he said. Before Roman could respond he dragged them both into the wall, ducking out of view.

“Why—?” Roman began.

Logan shrugged. “They’re not too bad.”

“They’re not—? Logan, I just saved your life!” Roman waved his needle around for emphasis.

The corners of Logan’s lips twitched up in a smile. “Thanks, Roman. Now let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorites ahh
> 
> I could write “a borrower being caught on a counter” a thousand times and never get bored of it. Apologizes to those who are sick of that trope haha


	6. pretty far from home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a prompt from @HiddenDreamer67 for Prinxiety with giants, and though the suggestion was Jack and the Beanstalk or Gulliver’s travels, I kinda changed it :0 hope you still enjoy it though!
> 
> I know this one is bit fast-paced but I started writing it a few weeks ago and then finished it earlier today. Oh well haha

The night before Roman’s wedding, he ran away.

He wasn’t _planning _on living in the woods. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what he wanted. He just needed to be alone in the woods with his thoughts.

He didn’t want to get married to some self-centered princess just to appease his parents. They tried to convince him over and over that it will be good for both their kingdoms because then they’ll rule _so much._

Roman didn’t want it. Not at all.

So, while the sun inched towards the horizon, Roman left and made his way deep into the woods.

He sighed, kicking at a stone as he walked. He had to be a mile or two in now, because the trees were becoming quite tall. Something in the back of his mind reminded him that the giant trees were only found on giant territory, but he ignored it, lost in thought.

He only became aware of his surroundings when he realized the birds weren’t singing. He looked up, and saw that the trees stretched high above him, the enormous leaves nearly impossible to spot so high. He jumped as a brown leaf fell next to him, nearly twice his size. His heart fell to his stomach.

Very quickly he spun on his heels, walking back from where he came. As much as he wanted to be alone, he didn’t want to stay here longer than he had to.

“You’re pretty far from home, aren’t you?”

The voice came from behind him and far, far above him. Roman froze, his entire body turning to ice. He hadn’t even heard them coming.

Roman took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. “I’m aware. I’m going home,” he called out, not wanting to turn around and see the giant.

“You don’t want to stay and talk?” The voice teased.

The leaves crinkled suddenly, and Roman spun around, hands up defensively. He stood trembling, expecting to see a giant hand reaching for him, but the giant had only shifted into a kneel.

The giant was surprisingly similar to a human, except much, much, /much/ bigger. What appeared to be a black hoodie hung from his shoulders. Dark eyes watched him, but the giant made no move to grab him. Odd.

“You good there, princey?” The giant asked, tilting his head. Roman realized he was still shaking and slowly lowered his arms. How did he know he was a prince? Oh, right, the suit.

“I-I’m fine,” Roman forced out. If the giant noticed he was still shaking, he didn’t mention it.

“What’s your name?” The giant asked. He moved, crossing his legs as he peered at Roman.

“...Roman.”

“Nice to meet you, princey. I’m Virgil. I would shake your hand, but... you know.” The giant- Virgil- smiled knowingly. Roman gave a hoarse laugh.

“Well, I gotta go,” Roman called out, inching back. He was still terrified that he would be grabbed in a fist and _never_ be able to return home, even if he wanted to.

Virgil cocked his head. “What’re you doing out so far, anyways?” He said casually, ignoring Roman’s comment.

Roman wanted nothing more than to run, but what if he made him mad? “I... I don’t want to be around my family at the moment.”

“Well, no worries, you’ve got me.” Virgil flashed another smile. “What’d they do?”

Roman heaved a sigh. “They arranged me to get married tomorrow, and I really don’t want to at all.”

“Ah.” Virgil’s features softened, and the giant actually looked sympathetic. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Roman was a bit confused, but he murmured, “Thank you.”

They were quiet for a moment. Then Virgil moved, and Roman threw himself back, heart hammering. “N-No!” He gasped.

Virgil froze, wide eyes trained on Roman. Realization dawned on him. “No, no, I wasn’t...” he trailed off, falling still. “You’re okay. I’m sorry.”

Roman swallowed, trembling from head to toe. “I... sorry, it’s okay. I’m just... not used to this.”

Virgil nodded, not saying anything as Roman forced himself to relax. After a second or two Roman spoke up. “So, wh-what are you doing out here?”

Virgil blinked, then shrugged, slowly this time as to not startle Roman again. Roman appreciated it greatly. “I just like to go for walks sometimes. To clear my head, you know?”

“Do you... live around here?” Roman didn’t know much about the giant territory, except that it was very big and should be avoided. Most giants were fairly unthreatening, but it wasn’t uncommon to run into a bad one.

“Eh, not too far. I live alone.”

Was that common for giants? Roman had never bothered to learn. Surprisingly, he found himself quite interested. “Do most giants live alone?”

Virgil shot him a glance before he began fiddling with his hoodie strings. It was astounding how quickly he could go from a dark, intimidating giant to something comparable to an unthreatening teenager. “We’re pretty similar to you guys, I think. We usually live alone or with a friend until we get married, and all that. Although I have heard of groups of friends living together.”

Roman blinked several times, a sudden longing blossoming in his chest. He shifted slightly. “I... I wish my kingdom was like that,” he admitted. “We have a lot of arranged marriages, and... and since I’m getting married tomorrow, I don’t want to end up like one of those old unhappy couples. I just...” he waved his hands in the air for emphasis. “I don’t know.”

Virgil peered at him. “Oh... I’m sorry, I always heard that humans and giants had similar traditions. I’m sorry, again.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s... specifically my kingdom.” Roman kicked at a rock. “Sometimes I wish I could just run away,” he said with a hoarse laugh. “It’s not like my parents want me around, or anything.”

He immediately shut his mouth, sending Virgil a worried glance. He almost never spoke up about his feelings like this, especially not to a giant he met ten minutes ago.

Virgil’s face was gentle, watching him through concerned eyes. Although if Roman looked closely, he could see the gears turning in his head. “Roman, listen... I know this is a lot to ask of a giant you just met, but... if you’re serious about leaving, you could always stay at my place until you work out a plan. Especially since the marriage is tomorrow, and I’m not sure I’d want to live there, either.” He blinked. “But it’s up to you, of course.”

Roman jerked his head up, startled. “Wait, really?”

Virgil looked taken aback. “Oh, you actually want to?”

“Y-Yeah!” Roman knew it was crazy, but he was always the adventurous type. This seemed so much more exciting than marrying that awful princess. “Are you sure?”

“Well, yeah!” Virgil smiled. “I offered.”

“Great!” Although Roman’s heart pounded, he was thrilled. He took a shaky step forward, meeting the giant’s eyes.

“Th-Thank you, Virgil.”

——

The next day, Roman was declared missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’m working on all the prompts I got, but I don’t mind receiving more! ;)


	7. Overseas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always wanted to write something like this and now I’ve finally gotten around to it :)
> 
> Warnings: cages, implied abuse, minor injuries

Roman woke up cold.

He let out a sharp breath, trying to get his vision to adjust. Where was he? The floor below him was smooth and cold to the touch. He sat up slowly, peering around.

The first thing he noticed was the bars; surrounding him on all sides, meaning he must be in a cage. Roman’s heart skittered at the thought.

He vaguely remembered being grabbed and handled by human hands. A sick feeling arose in his throat and he held his head, trying not to think about it too much.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Roman must have jumped three feet. He stared through the bars at another person his size, his clothes made of black scraps. A pair of glasses perched on his nose, the blue eyes behind them dark and calculating.

Roman finally realized it wasn’t just one cage around him, but several, all stacked on top of each other against a wall. He turned quickly, but the cage to his right was empty.

“Wh-what’s happening?” He forced out. Oh god, it had been so long since he interacted with another borrower.

The other borrower adjusted his glasses. “I believe we are being transported by human smugglers. They are planning on selling us.”

Roman felt sick.

“What?!” He cried out.

There was a small commotion below him.

“Wh-what’s going on? Who just yelled?”

Logan’s gaze flickered below him. “The smugglers brought in another borrower during the night.”

There was a pause. “Oh.”

Roman swayed slightly and he dragged a hand down his face. His stomach was colder than the floor. “I... I can’t...”

“It’s okay. Deep breaths,” someone called out.

Roman trembled, meeting the borrower’s eyes. “Who are you?”

“Ah yes, my apologizes, I should have introduced myself. My name is Logan. The borrower below me is Patton—“

“Hi!”

“—and the borrower below you is Damien. We’re on a boat to America.”

“A-America?” Roman trembled. “That’s...” he had never thought he’d be over the ocean before. “That’s so far from Spain.”

“Spain,” Logan murmured. “They must have picked you up along the way. We three are from France.”

Roman stayed quiet, his mind twirling with fear and confusion. Damien spoke up.

“If it makes you feel any better, we might die on the boat.”

“Damien!” Patton cried. Logan sighed.

“You’ll get used to him,” he murmured to Roman. Roman shivered and nodded.

They spoke for a bit after that, but they eventually lapsed into silence. There wasn’t much to talk about— none of them wanted to mention their futures, and talking about their homes only made them depressed.

Roman wasn’t feeling very social, anyways.

He leaned against the bars of the cage, staring up at the ceiling. He had learned that they were in the lower part of the boat, where it was almost completely dark except for a small lightbulb. If he strained, he could hear humans walking about above, but he forced himself to ignore them.

About an hour passed before there was a shout. Roman jumped up, staring as a trapdoor swung open and a young human was shoved inside.

He had to be in his late teens. He wore a black and purple hoodie that seemed a bit too large for him. That, combined with his dark bangs, gave him a very intimidating persona.

The human staggered slightly before straightening up, watching as the trapdoor slammed shut. For a moment Roman thought the human was now trapped there with them, but instead of fearful, the human just looked... tired.

The human made his way over to the borrowers, who all moved back on instinct. He hesitated, moving a bit slower.

“Uh, hey, guys,” he said quietly, peering through his bangs.

Roman stayed silent, keeping his eyes locked on the human’s hands. Not a single one of them moved.

“I’m here to give you some water.” The human fished a few small containers out from his pockets, setting one in each cage. Roman scrambled back as his cage was opened, but the hand was gone in a few seconds.

The human bit his lip. “I—“

“Virgil!” A voice yelled from up above, making all five of them jump. “It’s just tinies, how long does it take?”

Virgil straightened up, backing away. “I— sorry, guys.”

He turned on his heel, leaving the department.

Roman met Logan’s eyes, but neither of them said a word.

——

The second time the human returned he had not only water, but small pieces of lettuce.

“Hey guys,” he said softly as he placed lettuce in each of their cages. “I’m not supposed to give you food but I figured you would appreciate it.”

Roman watched the human warily. It was unnerving to be this close to a human, and for the human to be talking to him, but he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t hungry. He eyed the lettuce but didn’t touch it.

“You guys can eat lettuce, right? I mean, we don’t know much about you guys. I’ve heard you’re really similar to humans, though, so I figured you could eat this?”

Roman pressed his lips into a thin line and turned away. What kind of monster do you have to be to treat someone so poorly, especially if you know how similar they are to humans?

“Well...” the human said after none of them responded. “I guess I’ll head out, then. See you.”

He turned and left, leaving the room in darkness as the trapdoor closed.

Logan was the first to speak. He approached the lettuce, reaching down to tap it win a finger. “It doesn’t appear harmful,” he observed doubtfully. “However I would never trust anything from a human.”

“Wait, what?” Patton’s voice came from below. Roman wished he could see him. “I drank the water.”

Logan paused. “We’ve been drinking this water for a few days. I believe the water’s safe.”

Patton sighed in relief.

Roman blinked. “I forgot you guys have been here longer than me... do you know that human?”

“No, usually some big scary girl comes down here to feed us. She doesn’t even talk to us,” Damien called. “I think they picked up the kid for the crew the same time they got you.”

“Oh.” Roman peered down at the lettuce, pulling off a small piece. His stomach growled. “Logan, did you say this looked safe?”

Logan peered at him. “It appears safe, but I don’t recommend eating it.”

Roman was starving— but then he remembered that this is what the humans wanted. For him to do what they wanted, which included eating what they gave him.

Roman tossed the lettuce aside.

——

Roman woke up just as the trapdoor opened.

He was a light sleeper, and everything made him jump, especially since he had arrived on the boat. He glanced over and saw that Logan was alert as well.

The human slowly entered the department, easing the door shut. His hood was pulled up, and he was carrying what appeared to be a book in his hand.

He glanced over at the borrowers. “Hey guys,” he mumbled. “I’m gonna... stay here for a while, if that’s okay.”

They watched curiously as he crossed the room, sitting down against the wall. He rested the odd book on his knees and took out a pencil.

Oh. Roman realized he was drawing, and that was a sketchbook.

The human didn’t speak for a while, simply drew. Roman and Logan shared a few wary glances but said nothing.

Footsteps echoed above them, and the human tensed, shrinking in on himself as his gaze flickered to the ceiling. He only relaxed once the person had left.

After a moment, the human spoke, startling Roman after such a long silence. “So... do you guys have names?”

Roman stared at him. For what reason would a human want his name?

The others must have thought the same thing, for they all stayed quiet.

At least, until Patton replied, “I’m Patton.”

The air suddenly became much too thick. Roman flinched, meeting Logan’s panicked gaze. He heard Damien curse under his breath.

The human blinked, as if he wasn’t excepting to be spoken to. “P-Patton? Was that you with the glasses?”

Logan made a confused face before Patton said in a much smaller voice, “Yeah, th-that’s me.”

The human shifted. “Uh, nice to meet you, Patton. I’m Virgil.”

Before they could say anything else, the footsteps returned, followed by a voice. “Where the HELL is the kid?”

“Shit.” Virgil pulled his sketchbook closer to himself, scrambling to his feet. Roman flinched back at the sudden movement.

The trapdoor slammed open. “Hey, kid, are you down there?”

Virgil’s voice cracked. “Y-Yeah.”

The voice groaned. “You know you’re not supposed to hang around there! Get out here and do your job, kid.”

Virgil moved across the room faster that Roman ever could. He sent the borrowers one last glance before climbing up and vanishing through the trapdoor.

“Finally,” the voice grumbled before the trapdoor fell shut.

There was a long silence.

Then, “What on EARTH were you thinking?!”

“I’m sorry, Damien!” Patton cried. “I— I just— he seems so sweet, and I felt like I should answer!”

“Patton, he’s a human.” Logan said, eyes shut as if he was in pain.

“I— I know. I’m so sorry.” Patton fell silent.

Roman kept his gaze on the floor. “I’m sure it’s okay,” he offered softly. “What’s done is done, right?”

Patton mumbled, “Right.” Logan made a face and Damien said nothing.

——

The next time Virgil returned, he had a fresh bruise on his cheek.

He didn’t say much.

——

“Hey, guys. Hey, Patton.” Virgil approached the cages, holding slices of some sort of fruit in his hand. “I have apples.”

Roman lifted his head. At this point, he no longer feared Virgil like he should. His movements made him nervous still, but he didn’t feel as if he was in danger.

Also, he was absolutely starving.

“I don’t think you guys ate the lettuce, but...” Virgil bit his lip. “I mean, it’s worth a shot.”

As he placed an apple in each of their cages, Roman took notice of the way Virgil kept his hood up to hide the bruise.

“They don’t really like me being down here,” Virgil admitted miserably. “I heard they might switch our jobs so I mop and Susie feeds you. Felt like I should give you a warning, since Susie’s not very...” he fell silent, shutting Patton’s cage as distributed the last apple slice. “I should go before they get mad at me again. Bye guys.”

“Bye, Virgil,” Patton called out.

Roman surprised himself by murmuring, “Bye.”

Virgil gave a sad smile before leaving.

Damien’s voice broke the silence. “What is with you guys?” He groaned.

——

“Good news.”

“Hmm?” Roman blinked sleepily as he sat up. He was vaguely aware of Virgil refilling his water next to him.

“They’re not switching our jobs, at least for now,” Virgil chirped. “So we’re good on that.”

Patton gave a small noise of agreement. “That’s great!”

Virgil smiled as he refilled the last water container, but his smile quickly fell. However, he didn’t mention whatever was bothering him.

“You good?” Patton asked. Roman looked over at Logan to see if he was annoyed at Patton, but Logan surprisingly didn’t seem bothered.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Virgil clicked the cage door shut. “I’m gonna head out now.”

“Oh. Bye, Virgil.”

“See you, Patton. See you, other people.” Virgil gave them a quick salute before leaving the department.

“Wow, Patton.” Damien was the first to speak. “You’re not scared at all to talk to a human.”

Patton made a small noise but otherwise didn’t respond. Roman coughed and spoke up.

“I mean... we’re already in cages and everything. Does it really matter if we talk to him?” He began hesitantly. The words felt foreign in his mouth.

Logan, shockingly, didn’t disagree. “They treat us like animals,” he pointed out. “Perhaps talking and displaying intelligence will make them reconsider.”

“As if!” Damien huffed. “They know we can talk, and that hasn’t changed their mind before!”

There was a long silence.

“I think Virgil might be changing his mind,” Patton said softly.

Damien didn’t respond after that.

——

Virgil didn’t come back the next day.

——

Or the next.

——

Roman gazed longingly at his water, which was almost completely gone. He supposed he was lucky; Patton had run out of water yesterday, and Logan ran out when he willingly poured the rest of his through the cages into Patton’s. It wouldn’t be long before he and Damien ran out, too.

His head jerked up as the trapdoor eased open. But that couldn’t be right— there was no sunlight streaming in, which meant it was nighttime.

A thin form eased their way into the department. Roman recognized their hoodie instantly.

“Virgil!” Patton breathed.

Virgil approached, hood drawn up over his head. Roman’s stomach jolted when he saw the teenager’s black eye.

“What happened to you?” He asked before he could stop himself. Virgil’s lips tightened.

“It doesn’t matter,” he whispered. “Listen, I— I— I’m gonna get you out of there.”

All four borrowers jerked up. Roman’s heart soared with hope he had thought he lost ages ago. “Really?”

Virgil nodded shakily, fiddling his thumbs together. “We— we arrived in America a few hours ago. My boss is going to t-take you out in the morning. I don’t...” he swallowed. “I don’t want that to happen.”

Patton let out a small cheer. Roman dragged his hands through his hair, trying to process the sudden change of events. They were saved.

“Absolutely not!” Damien suddenly snapped, the first thing he had said to Virgil. Virgil flinched at the borrower’s voice.

“Wh-what?” Virgil whispered.

“What?!” Roman cried.

“I don’t trust you,” Damien hissed. “How do we know you’re not just gonna keep us for yourself? Or just throw us overboard?”

“That’s a little over-the-top,” Logan muttered.

“I’m not,” Virgil said weakly. “Please, I’m sorry, I know this must have been terrible for you but you have to trust me.”

“What about the people you work for?” Logan piped up. “What are you going to tell them?”

Virgil’s eyes flashed with a sudden determination. “I’m not telling them anything. I’m running away.”

Roman stared. The four borrowers were quiet before Patton said, “I believe you.”

“Patton!” Damien said harshly.

“I believe you, too,” Roman added.

Logan lowered his gaze. “I think this is the best option for us,” he admitted. “Even if you did have malicious plans it can’t be as bad as whatever the other humans had planned for us.”

Virgil looked somewhat hurt as his words, but it was masked by the understanding in his eyes.

Damien was quiet for a second. Then another. Then, finally, he said, “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

Patton cheered. Roman smiled.

Virgil nodded, moving an inch closer. He bit his lip. “I’m— I’m sorry. Is it okay if you stay in my pocket? People generally don’t know you exist, and I can’t really walk around w-with four cages.”

Roman hesitated. Of course, this was their only option...

“Alright,” he said heavily. The others eventually agreed, however how reluctant.

Virgil carefully opened Patton’s cage first, which was understandable. After a few seconds of coaxing, he pulled Patton out of the cage.

Roman peered at him. It was interesting to finally have a face to put on the voice. Patton seemed a bit nervous, but he sat trustingly in Virgil’s palm.

Virgil hesitated. “I— um, who next?”

When nobody spoke, Roman stepped forward. “Me.”

Virgil nodded and carefully opened the door. He held his palm just outside the door, where Patton gave him an encouraging smile.

Roman stepped closer, heart thudding. Patton was there, and he was safe. It’s okay.

Taking a deep breath, Roman stepped into Virgil’s hand.

He took a seat next to Patton, who took his hand comfortingly. Roman smiled and spoke up before he was realizing it.

“My name is Roman.”

Virgil’s hand moved slightly, as if he wasn’t expecting him to speak. “Oh. That’s... that’s a nice name, Roman.”

A few minutes passed and soon enough, Logan and Damien were with them as well. Virgil moved them closer to his hoodie pocket.

“Are you guys ready?”

Roman swallowed. “Yeah.”

“Alright. We’re gonna get out of here.”

The pocket was surprisingly comfortable, and Roman didn’t mind being so close to the others after days of being by himself. He found himself holding their hands, all four of them understanding that although this was dangerous, this was their last hope.

But Roman was okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in a WRITING MOOD everyone
> 
> I still have a lot of prompts to get around to but if you have a prompt go ahead and tell me because the more the merrier :)


	8. Careful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this one! I have taken all of your prompts and have started writing a few of them. Keep an eye out :)

In hindsight, Virgil probably should have been more careful.

It had been almost fifteen years since borrowers were discovered by humankind, and since then, most of them had been caught and taken away. After all, humans now knew better than to blame ghosts or mice for missing objects.

Therefore it was much, much harder for borrowers to survive. Virgil had been on his own for ten years since his parents sent him away at age eight, telling him it was too dangerous for them all to live in the same house.

It hadn’t taken Virgil long to realize they sent him away because he was too troublesome.

Currently he lived in a small house with an elderly lady, who wasn’t very aware of her surroundings. She almost never noticed the small bits of food and cloth that went missing.

So, Virgil slowly became less and less cautious. After all, it wasn’t like his actions were going to be noticed.

That’s what he thought, until he heard her open the front door and begin speaking to someone.

He didn’t think much of it— it wasn’t uncommon for her to invite family over. He was traveling the walls, anyways, so he wasn’t in view.

Then her voice made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Thank you so much for coming, sweetie. I was starting to get worried this tiny would destroy my house.”

_Tiny_?

Virgil’s blood ran cold.

“Of course, ma’am. It’s my job.”

He ran to a small hole in the wall, staring through. The man the lady was speaking to was tall and slim, dressed in a black uniform, dark glasses perched on his nose. A bag was slung over his shoulders.

She called an _exterminator?_

Virgil was vaguely aware of the lady saying “they can be pesky little things, can’t they?” as he stumbled back, bringing a hand to his head. Panic gripped at his throat, an invisible hand clamping around his windpipe to stagger his breathing. He wasn’t prepared. His living space was on the other side of the house. He didn’t have time to pack, he didn’t have the materials to survive outside—

“If you would please step outside, ma’am, I can get to work.”

“Of course.”

The door opened and shut one more time, leaving the house in silence. Virgil pressed himself against the wood behind him, chest heaving.

There was a man just outside, a man who wanted to catch and kill him, and this all could have been avoided if Virgil had just been more careful—

He flinched violently as a sharp tap sounded just outside. There were a few more taps and Virgil backed away, frightened and confused because an exterminator was doing something to catch him.

He turned, running down a long tunnel to get as far away as possible. He knew he was running towards a corner, and he was essentially trapping himself, but all he wanted was to get far, far away.

He skidded to a halt just as he reached the end of the wall. He swallowed hard, sinking into the corner and wrapping his arms around himself. Maybe if he stayed here, the exterminator would give up. He could only hope.

It was painfully quiet for a long time, aside from the occasional tapping or small noise which could only be the clattering of tools. The exterminator had to be seven or eight feet away, doing something to the wall. Oh god, what if he cut open the wall and saw him in the corner, just waiting to be grabbed and handled—?

Virgil clapped a hand over his mouth as a sob threatened to escape. He just needed to be still and quiet.

He almost screamed as another tap came from right next to him. How had the man moved so silently?

Virgil let out a sharp breath and bolted, running down the same tunnel—

—only to stop as a large silver plate blocked his path.

Virgil stared, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. The wall had been cut into and the silver plate had been slid inside, keeping him trapped in this small stretch of wall.

If he thought he was scared before, he was downright paralyzed now. This time, he did let out a quiet whimper.

He only then noticed the small hole in the wall next to him, just big enough for someone of his size to fit through. His lips tightened.

The exterminator was trying to get him out of the walls.

He stumbled back. No, there was no way he was leaving. The man could rip through the entire house if he wanted, but he was staying _right here._

A noise emerged at the other end of the wall, a high pitched whine Virgil had never heard before. He shifted uneasily, unsure of what was happening.

Ten seconds later a sharp scent hit his nose. He recognized the smell of chemicals immediately.

His heart skipped a beat, tears threatening to spill over. Oh god, oh god, oh god.

He began to feel dizzy and he leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the chemicals filling the air around him. He had two choices— stay in the wall and die of poisoning, or run outside and risk capture.

The chemicals were so violently strong now he could barely breathe. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to stay inside the walls—

—but if he was going to die anyways, what did he have to lose?

Virgil staggered towards the small hole in the wall. He bit his lip, staring at the wooden floor stretching on. He could run towards the cupboard, or that potted plant.

With a surge of breath, Virgil bolted out of the wall.

He didn’t even make it ten steps.

There was movement to his right and a gloved hand threw itself in front of him. Virgil let out a shriek, slamming into the /human hand/ which almost immediately closed around him, restricting his movements like it was nothing. He struggled fruitlessly against the strong grip as it slowly lifted him into the air.

Virgil squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to look his captor, or possibly killer, in the eye. There was a gentle exhale above him and the grip loosened, allowing him to breathe more easily while still keeping him powerless.

“Take deep breaths.”

Virgil hadn’t realized he was hyperventilating until the human spoke. His eyes snapped open and suddenly he was staring into cool blue eyes, hidden behind dark frames.

“Let me g—“ Virgil’s voice broke as the water that had built up finally spilled over, a sob wrenching at his chest. Tears blurred in his eyes.

The human’s gaze didn’t change. He brought his other hand up, cupping around Virgil while flattening out his other hand. Virgil scrambled back, adrenaline and fear pulling at his limbs. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the human’s cold gaze.

“Deep breaths,” the human repeated. “It’s okay.”

_No, it’s not!_

Was this some kind of sick human trick? Convincing Virgil he was safe and secure, just so it would bring more satisfaction to murder him later? Virgil’s breath hitched and he brought his hand to his face, trying to ignore how huge the human’s hands were compared to his. The way they could wrap around him, how they could crush him right now if the human desired.

Before Virgil could do anything, the hands shifted around him. He flinched as the hand behind him moved, beginning to close around him—

“Stop!” Virgil cried suddenly, jerking away. The tears were pouring now, his voice breaking. “Stop! I’m sorry, I promise I’ll leave! Please stop, please, please don’t hurt me I don’t want to die please _stop_—“

The human, to his surprise, hesitated, hand hovering inches above Virgil’s shivering form. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “My apologizes. I didn’t mean to startle you a severely. I know this isn’t very believable in your current position, but I am not going to hurt you.”

It took Virgil a second to process the words, but once he did he winced and turned his head away. Even if this human kept his word and didn’t hurt him, that means he was going to be sent away to either become a pet or a lab experiment. And who says this human here wasn’t just a sadistic monster that wanted to convince his captives to trust him so that he could torture them later—

“Are you alright?”

A small breath escaped Virgil’s lips and he laid back, eyes staring up at the ceiling and the large fingers taking up part of his vision. The tear stains on his cheeks remained as a few tears ran down his cheeks. Bitterness crept into his throat as he responded, “No.”

He was going to have a horrible, horrible life. There was no way for him to escape anymore. Why fight it?

What kind of monster kidnaps someone, and then asks them if they were alright? Virgil’s lips tightened as he stared at the black gloves around him. How many borrowers have been handled in these gloves? He had no doubt that every last one of them were dead.

The hands shifted a bit at Virgil’s heart jumped slightly. “That is understandable,” the human said softly. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but—“

“Stop,” Virgil forced out, cutting the human off. His voice hitched, but he continued. “Just— please, stop.”

The human’s expression wavered, shifting into what could only be concern. “I...”

“Take me away, kill me, I don’t— I don’t care.” A surge of emotion wrenched at Virgil’s heart, and he couldn’t stop himself from staring into the human’s eyes as he spoke. “Just stop saying I’m safe, that I should trust you, that— that you won’t hurt me. I won’t fall for it. Just give it up, I’m so sick of hearing it.”

The human stayed quiet for several seconds, his blue eyes trained on Virgil’s trembling figure. Finally he let out a breath, gaze lowering. “Okay.”

The human cupped Virgil in one hand as he reached into his bag. Virgil only had to see the glint in his peripheral to know it was a cage, suited perfectly for his size.

“I apologize for this,” the human whispered as Virgil was gently placed inside. Virgil scrambled to his feet, his head very close but not yet touching the top of the cage.

The sudden change of setting made his anxiety spike, but he was still feeling hopeless as ever. He sat down against the bars of the cage, ignoring the gloved hands around the bars.

The human hesitated like he was going to say something, but he stayed quiet. He shifted Virgil’s cage into one arm as he opened the door, stepping outside.

It had been a while since Virgil had been outside. His eyes fluttered as the sun streamed over him, the gentle breeze accompanied the scent of grass and pine.

He had a feeling this was the last time he’d ever be outside.

“Oh, there you are.”

Virgil lifted his head slightly as the exterminator approached the elderly lady, who peered at Virgil. He shrank back, uncomfortable to have her eyes on him.

“Nasty little thing,” she said offhandedly. “I thought you were going to kill it?”

Virgil flinched a little. The human shifted the cage closer to himself.

“My job is to remove tinies, not kill them,” the human explained. The lady shrugged.

“Whatever you have to do to get them out of my house,” she joked. The human didn’t laugh.

They spoke for a few more moments, until the lady finally thanked him, gave Virgil one last frown, and went back to her house. The human said nothing as he walked to his car.

He slid into the front seat, placing Virgil’s cage in the passenger seat. The car started with a rumble, making Virgil jump slightly.

“How are you doing?” The human asked softly. Virgil glowered but didn’t respond. “I’m sorry for how she spoke about you. It must have made you very uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, it did,” Virgil muttered under his breath. He turned away from the human, not wanting to look at him.

The human paused. “Now is probably a good time to tell you,” he began slowly. “I’m bringing you to a borrower sanctuary.”

Virgil deadpanned, sitting up and whirling around to face the human. “B-borrower?” Was the only thing he could get out.

Humans almost never used that term. They had named the species tinies. And what did he say about a sanctuary?

“Yes.” The human nodded. “This— this whole exterminator thing— it’s a disguise to rescue borrowers in dangerous situations and bring them somewhere they can be safe. I know you didn’t believe me before, but I promise you, I am telling the truth, and only the truth.”

Virgil felt a little dizzy.

“I— you—“ he swallowed hard, leaning against the bars of the cage. There was no way this was the truth. It was just too good to be true. “Wh-why am I in a cage then?”

The human hesitated. “That was a precautionary measure. To convince that lady I was doing my job, and to make sure you couldn’t get out and hurt yourself.”

“Let me out,” Virgil said hoarsely.

He hesitated, blue eyes flickering. “I can’t be certain you won’t try to run.”

Virgil swallowed. “If I’m supposed to trust you, you should trust me not to r-run off.”

The human watched him for a long time before leaning forwards, resting a hand on the front of the cage. Virgil took a few steps back, watching him warily.

“You promise you won’t run?”

Virgil nodded weakly.

The door eased open and the hand retreated, providing Virgil a way out. He moved forwards, peeking through the doorway.

He took a deep breath and stepped outside, facing the human that suddenly felt much too close without the cage in the way. “Th...” the “thank you” died in his lips. Why should he thank a human?

The human leaned back, tilting his head. “So, will you give me a chance to explain myself?”

As much as Virgil wanted to believe it, a borrower sanctuary just sounded too good to be true. He crossed his arms. “G-Go ahead.”

The human nodded. “Like I said, I’m not a real exterminator. Borrowers are people, too, and they deserve to live a life apart from humans who have treated them so horribly all these years. You won’t have to interact with any humans there— apart from me and a few others like me, but that’s only occasionally— and you will get to live comfortably without the threat of danger every step.”

Man, that sounded WAY too perfect. Virgil hesitated, feeling himself being drawn in. “I— well—“ he struggled to find any sort of lie or loophole or something. “What if you’re just telling me that?”

“What do I have to gain from this conversation?” The human provided. “I could stop answering you, if I really wanted. And I let you out, trusting you you won’t run off— you still have the chance too— so I believe it’s only fair you give me a chance, too.”

Virgil swallowed hard. The human’s eyes were determined but knowing, and though he knew it was wrong, he couldn’t help but trust him. Just a little.

“Thank you,” he said softly, the apology finally finding its way out. “For... rescuing me.”

The human nodded, turning towards the wheel, but Virgil suddenly flinched.

“Wait!” He said suddenly. “W-wait, what about the gas?”

The human, for the most part, looked confused. “What?”

“The gas. You used it to get me out of the walls.” Virgil took a step back, eyes wide. “What if you killed me?”

“Oh.” The human ran a hand through his hair, face pinched in worry. “I’m sorry about that. I should have explained, the gas is completely harmless.”

“What?”

“It’s the quickest method to get a borrower out of the walls,” he admitted with a shake of the head. Both of them winced at the phrasing. “I know, it’s terrible, but I promise you in no way is it dangerous.”

Virgil swallowed and nodded, leaning against the bars of the cage. “...Okay.”

After a beat of silence, he said, “Virgil.”

“What?”

“M-My name. It’s Virgil.”

The human blinked before giving a soft smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Virgil. I’m Logan.”

Logan. The name fit well.

“It’s... nice to meet you too,” Virgil admitted.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked this one but it felt kind of rushed. Either way I hope you liked it!
> 
> Are there any character combinations you want to see?


	9. The Princess and the Frog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sort of Princess and the Frog AU except I changed basically everything :)
> 
> Prinxiety wooooo

The soft glow of the moon crept in through the windows, filling the restaurant in a silvery light. The only noise was the soft clinking of dishes as Virgil put everything back in its proper place.

Virgil exhaled, running a hand through his hair as he set the last plate into the cupboards. He adjusted his slightly worn suit, humming a tune to himself as he closed the cupboard and glanced around the restaurant to make sure he was done.

Running an entire restaurant by himself was difficult, but he made it work. Customers were mostly sweet and understanding, even if there were a few impatient ones. Virgil was just happy to finally be living his dream.

A gentle smile on his face, Virgil crossed the room to the front door. However, just as his hand touched the doorknob, he heard a rustling sound behind him.

Virgil turned, glancing around. There weren’t mice in here, were there? He winced at the thought, picking up a broom he had left against the wall as he went to investigate the noise. His grip tightened around the handle. No way was he letting mice run loose in his restaurant.

His eyes finally fell on a small shape, hovering behind the leg of a chair. His lips tightened as he approached, holding the broom threateningly.

He took a deep breath, and /wham/— he kicked the chair out of the way and raised the broom high.

“Woah— wait!”

Virgil froze, eyes locking onto not a mouse, but a man barely the size of his hand. His little arms were held up in front of his face, eyes wide with terror and glued to the broom.

Virgil blinked and took several steps back, the broom lowered to his side. The small man shifted, crossing his arms. Virgil only now noticed how he was wearing a prince’s outfit. Odd.

“Wh- who are you?” Virgil stammered. He wasn’t superstitious, but there was no way there were no supernatural elements connected to this tiny person. 

The tiny man peeked up at him, blinking rapidly. “I—“ he took a step forward with confidence he didn’t have before. “My name— my name is Prince Roman, and I need your help.”

“P...” Virgil’s face scrunched up. “Prince Roman? Who... I still don’t understand.”

Roman paused before straightening up. “If you don’t mind, would you please kneel or sit? It may be easier for our... current situation.”

Virgil was beginning to feel dizzy, so he didn’t object to sinking to the floor, sitting on his legs. He set the broom down next to him, noticing how Roman sent it a wary look.

“I... why do you need my help?” Virgil whispered, struggling to contain all of his questions.

Roman met his eyes, and only from this distance could Virgil see they were a bright hazel. “I’m a prince, but I am not from this kingdom,” he explained, his voice surprisingly authoritative and stern for someone barely four inches tall. “I was merely visiting when two days ago, I had a run-in with a horrid witch who thought it would be amusing to curse me into a fraction of my own height.” He brought a hand to his face, quite dramatically. “I don’t know much around this kingdom, but I have heard that you, Virgil Sanders, are very generous, and you’re my only hope.”

Virgil’s mind was blank. He struggled for words, trying to process the fact that the tiny man he had almost whacked with a broom was an actual prince, and was asking him for help with a curse.

“I...” Virgil shook his head, trying to force the words to come. “I don’t know much about curses, b-but I’ll do my best to help. What do you, uh, what do you know about the curse?”

Roman placed his hands on his hips. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out, and he began to tap his foot. “I... if you don’t mind, I would actually prefer to be on the table. Do you have any objections to carrying me?”

Now, at this point Virgil probably should have been more freaked out, but the exhaustion had already weighed down on him. If there was a tiny man talking to him, then so be it.

“Sure.” After a moment’s hesitation Virgil teacher his hand forward, but he froze when Roman jumped back.

Right, he’s a prince and everything. Trying to be a little more respectful, Virgil placed his hand down instead, palm up. Roman bit his lip before cautiously stepping on.

“All good, Virgil,” the tiny prince murmured. Virgil nodded gently and lifted him up, a second later setting his hand onto the wooden table. Roman scrambled off and straightened up, dusting himself off.

They were uncomfortably quiet for a moment, until Virgil said, “Can you just start from the beginning? I’m still... confused.” He let out a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. 

Roman straightened up and nodded. “Right. Of course. A few days ago I accidentally bumped into this terrible, awful witch, and she spilled everything she’d been holding. Any other day I would have helped her, but I was in a hurry to catch the carriage, and was forced to leave. However, I didn’t make it far, for that witch took my urgency as bad behavior and shrank me.” He crossed his arms. Virgil’s heart softened slightly. These past few days really must have been hard for him, huh?

“So... what can you do?” Virgil asked softly. Roman mumbled something and cleared his throat.

“Well,” he began, avoiding Virgil’s gaze. “The witch did mention... a way to return to normal.”

“That’s good,” Virgil piped up. “So how can I help?”

Roman huffed, tapping his foot once again. “The... the only way to break the curse is...” although his face was tiny it wasn’t hard to tell how red his face was. “...a kiss.”

It took Virgil a second to process the information, then he jumped back. “Wh— did you say a kiss?”

Roman crossed his arms and gave a firm nod. Virgil groaned, bringing a hand to his face.

“Okay. I’m sorry, there’s— there’s no way I can do this. You might be planning something, or— or you’re a fairy trying to steal my soul.” Virgil shrugged helplessly, giving Roman a stern look despite the prince’s noises of objection. “And even if you’re not, I— that’s just—“

“Is it because we’re both men?” Roman asked exasperatedly, raising his hands for emphasis. “Because if it is, you should know that both of our kingdoms have legalized homosexual marriage—“

“No, no, it’s not that, I’m gay.” Virgil ran his hands through his hair. “It’s because I’m six foot one and you’re, what, four inches?”

“Exactly!” Roman exclaimed. “That’s why we need to kiss, Virgil.”

“I—“ Virgil exhaled. “Listen, man. I know you’re a prince and all, and I really want to help you, but... I just... how are you okay with it?”

Roman shrugged. “Well, I can admit it’d be a little odd, but it’s definitely worth it if it means I can return to my normal height.”

A tiny tendril of guilt wormed its way into Virgil’s stomach, and he winced. “I—“ Uncomfortably he fiddled with his thumbs. “Alright, okay. Just... to get you back to normal.”

“Thank you!” Roman breathed, taking several steps forward. “Ready when you are. I do not want to be this size any longer than I have to.”

Virgil carefully kneeled down, setting his arms on the tabletop. “Are you ready?” He mumbled, heat rising into his cheeks. Roman nodded, and Virgil exhaled, ruffling the smaller man’s hair slightly. “Let’s get this over with, I guess.”

He slowly leaned forward, and to his surprise, it was Roman who closed the gap. The prince stepped forward as he pressed his lips against Virgil’s, his eyes squeezing shut.

Virgil wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t an icy chill sinking into the pit of his stomach. He flinched away from Roman, who confusedly took a step back, as the cold numbness shocked his entire body.

The next thing Virgil knew, his vision had gone white. For just a second he thought he had passed out, but then the white cleared and he was staring into the startled (and surprisingly attractive) face of Roman. And they were the same size.

“Oh, it worked,” Virgil mumbled, his entire body heavy from exhaustion. Was Virgil lying down? Why? He sat up, focusing on the prince.

“Virgil,” Roman whispered, voice surprisingly panicked. Virgil’s brow furrowed for a second, confused, then he glanced around and—

“Oh.” 

The table stretched on around them, impossibly huge. Roman was staring down at him with an expression that could only be a mix of shock, guilt and concern.

Virgil dragged his hand down his face, laying back. 

“Of course.”

Roman shifted for a second, before pointing out, “at least the kiss was nice.”

Virgil let out a hoarse laugh and shut his eyes. At the moment, he was simply too exhausted for anything. “Yeah.”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize this would happen.”

“It’s fine.”

Roman hesitated, raising an eyebrow. “You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

Virgil lifted his head to peer at him. “Oh, don’t worry. I just don’t think the initial shock has hit me yet. Trust me, in ten minutes I’m gonna be freaking out.”

Roman laughed and sat down beside him. “Well, guess we’re stuck like this until we figure something else out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang I... really want to continue this 
> 
> Also I literally haven’t seen the movie in over six years so hope I’m remembering it correctly hahahaha


	10. Switched Perspectives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for some background—  
this one-shot was inspired by a very specific scene in the book Switched Perspectives by @arc852 and @HiddenDreamer67. You will not understand this if you haven’t read it! And if you haven’t read it, you better go read it right now :)
> 
> -Spoilers for Switched Perspective-
> 
> So for those of you who HAVE read it, this is based off of that well-known scene when Virgil is threatening to drop Logan off the roof. Yeah, that one. I decided to go ahead and write an alternate ending that I thought would be pretty interesting! :P
> 
> Warnings: heights, general fear, DANGLING SOMEONE OFF OF A ROOF, talking about death

“What’s wrong, Logan? _Scared?_”

_“Yes!”_

Logan’s voice cracked as the panic finally broke over, numbing his body in icy terror. He trembled in Virgil’s slowly loosening grip, trying desperately not to look down into the abyss below. “Virgil, pl-please, think about this. What— What if you drop me?”

Something in Virgil’s expression shifted, and he smirked. “Oh, like this?”

Logan barely had time to process those words before the hand around him suddenly vanished, leaving him dangling by his shirt. He let out a cry, blinded by the fear that overtook him.

_“No!” _He shrieked, trying to grab onto Virgil’s fingers, but to no avail. “_Virgil!” _He felt himself slowly begin to slip out of his shirt, and in all his panic, he almost didn’t notice the flash of white light overtaking his vision.

-

When the light cleared, everything was different.

Logan was no longer looking up into Virgil’s looming face, scrabbling for a grip on the enormous fingers around him.

Instead, his arm was outstretched, dangling a very small, very _familiar_ figure between his fingertips.

Virgil shrieked, throwing his arms up to grab onto Logan’s fingers. “What— _ahhh!” _He cried out as he saw just how high he was, suddenly gripped by panic.

Logan stared for several seconds, trying to fathom what had just happened. Somehow, he and Virgil had traded places, and now Virgil was the one clinging to life.

Logan could still feel the terror, ebbing away at his insides. The tear tracks were gone from his cheeks, but the fear remained, clear as day, only to be replaced with anger. Complete and utter anger, staring down at the man who only seconds ago had been threatening to send him to his death.

“Logan,” Virgil forced out, his voice small and terrified, so different from the arrogant taunt that was still echoing in Logan’s mind.

And looking into the borrower’s eyes, Logan knew that Virgil had no words. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t beg for his life, because he knew _exactly_ what Logan was feeling, what he had felt minutes before. They both knew that no amount of begging would get through in a situation like this. Virgil was now staring, eyes wide and panicked, hands still grasping onto the back of his shirt.

Logan’s eyes flickered down to the street below, so many stories down, and his stomach twisted. How could Virgil _do_ something like this?

His gaze locked back on Virgil’s, full of only dread. Logan’s heart twisted, but the anger was still there, still soaking into his thoughts.

Logan narrowed his eyes. “I see we’re back to normal.”

“Logan,” Virgil suddenly gasped, trembling all over. “Logan, I— I’m sorry—“

“Oh, you’re sorry?” Logan knew he was pushing it, but he couldn’t stop himself. He glowered down at Virgil, watching the borrower scramble for something to say.

“Logan, I wasn’t really gonna drop you, I swear, I swear, I’m so sorry, please, I’m sorry—“

Logan watched him for a long, long time, as he rambled on and on, words blending into incoherent begging. Finally, it appeared the borrower had tired himself out, and he fell silent, staring up at Logan through a tear-streaked gaze, still half-whispering pleads and apologizes.

Logan finally shifted his grip, holding Virgil in a fist now, but still suspending him over the edge. Virgil’s eyes flickered down, then back to Logan, uncertain.

“Virgil,” Logan began. The borrower flinched as he was addressed. “I’m not going to drop you.”

Virgil heaved a sigh of relief, despite the fact that his tearful eyes were still terrified. Unease rippled in Logan’s stomach.

“I wouldn’t kill a person,” Logan continued, the sickening feeling still never going away. “I don’t know what kind of sadist you have to be to throw someone off of a roof, but that’s not me.”

Virgil swallowed, his expression shifting to something regretful. “Logan—“

“Stop.” Logan’s eyes were cold and sharp. “Don’t bother defending yourself. I’m not forgiving you.”

Virgil was silent.

“But, like I said, I’m not going to retaliate. You don’t have to worry about me dropping you five stories, because I’m not like you.”

Logan moved Virgil closer to his chest, taking a few steps back. There was a barely perceptible exhale from the borrower in his hand.

He lifted him up again to eye level. “But this isn’t over, Virgil,” Logan said sharply. “I will never, _ever _forget this.”

Virgil took a deep breath, the faint glimmer of tears still in his eyes, but he seemed to understand just what he had done. He gave a faint nod, allowing his eyes to flutter shut, no longer able to look at Logan.

Logan watched him for a few seconds before cupping him to his chest, turning and making his way to the stairwell.

—

Virgil felt sick.

He sank down into Logan’s hands as the human carried him down from the roof, where he had brought them only ten minutes ago. Logan was awfully quiet— but Virgil didn’t mind the silence. He didn’t feel like talking, anyways.

It had been very disorienting to switch back— to suddenly have nothing beneath his feet, to stare up at someone so much bigger than him. Virgil shuddered at the thought, rubbing his arms.

How could he ever think that threatening Logan in such a manner would be okay? What if his fingers had slipped? He had almost forgotten what it was like to be tiny, to have almost no control. Virgil winced at the thought.

The sick feeling still wasn’t going away. Virgil curled in on himself, trying to ease his restless thoughts.

He lifted his head as Logan entered his apartment, shutting the door behind him. Logan said nothing, gently depositing him on the counter and stepping back, crossing his arms.

Virgil stood up, keeping his eyes on the counter beneath him. The last thing he wanted was to meet Logan’s cold gaze.

“Virgil, I believe it’s about time we had a discussion,” Logan said after a moment. Virgil resisted the urge to snap his head up, focusing instead on his shoes.

“...Okay,” he forced out, not trusting his voice to stay still. Logan shifted.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Virgil,” Logan said, voice quiet. “That was never my intention. I want you to understand that.”

“It’s not—“ Virgil forced himself to stop, remembering that he was a borrower again, speaking to a human who had an advantage over him in every way. He couldn’t just snap out whenever he wanted anymore. “I... don’t see why I should believe you,” he finally managed, desperately trying to keep his voice even.

Logan paused before responding. “I know I have yet to do anything drastic to convince you to forgive me, but I just... I hope my word is enough.” His breath hitched, surprising Virgil. “There is.... I hope you believe me when I say that there is nothing I regret more than how I acted during our first meeting. I... I just...” He bit his lip, at a loss for words for the first time in his life. “I’m sorry, Virgil.”

Virgil blinked up at him, replaying Logan’s speech over and over in his mind. Sure, Logan could be lying, he could be making it all up...

Virgil could still hear Logan’s pleads— he could still hear his own pleads— clear as day. He could still see the long drop below him, still feel the fingers gripping his poncho, the pure, unadulterated fear coursing through his veins.

He had forced Logan through that, and when Logan finally had the chance to take his revenge, literally having Virgil’s life in his hands— he hadn’t taken it.

No, he had turned and taken Virgil back to safety.

Virgil suddenly shuddered, the emotions that had been swimming in his chest all evening suddenly threatening to break through. He met Logan’s eyes, chest heaving.

“I’m sorry,” Virgil found himself saying, the emotions twisting their way into words that were suddenly pouring out. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have— I never should have done that to you, what was I thinking?” Virgil shuddered, taking deep, uncoordinated breaths.

“I deserved it,” Logan murmured, and Virgil never thought three words could tear so much emotion from his voice.

“No,” Virgil stated firmly, trembling as he stared up at Logan. “You didn’t deserve that. I— I was wrong, Logan. I was wrong. You never did anything like that. I’m so— I’m so sorry.”

Logan’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment before he answered. “I— I was in the wrong from the very beginning. I trapped you, I— I lied to you—“

“But you’ve apologized,” Virgil cried out, cutting him off. “You’ve apologized, and you’re at least trying to be b-better. I— I turn into a human for less than a day and I almost—“ he stopped himself with a shuddering breath.

“You weren’t thinking,” Logan spoke quietly. “I...I’m not sure I’ll ever get past that... but we can move on, Virgil.”

Virgil swallowed. “Move on?”

Logan shifted again. “We both did things we regret,” he said with a wince. “And we both have experiences we can’t just shake away. But I think this has gone too far.”

Virgil lowered his head.

“Virgil, we need to put the past behind us. I think we need to start over, okay?”

And a second later Virgil was nodding, gasping for breath, not even realizing that all he wanted was to start over, start over, start over. The weight on his shoulders was finally gone, finally allowing him to breath.

He looked up and saw that Logan had tears in his eyes, a hand pressed to his face. Virgil let out a breathy laugh, and even Logan smiled that wistful smile, both of their eyes beginning to water.

A while passed before either of them spoke, both of them basking in the tranquility, an odd sort of peace the two of them had never reached before. Virgil had wiped away all his tears and was now sitting down, holding himself as he gazed around the kitchen.

He glanced up at Logan, who was surveying the kitchen the same way. Virgil had no doubt what he was thinking.

“...So,” Virgil managed, voice still hinting at his previous overflow of emotions. “Guess we should probably figure out why we switched back, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @arc852 and @HiddenDreamer67 for writing Switched Perspectives and giving me permission to share this! :)


	11. Getting Along (part two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of “Getting Along,” in which Virgil and Patton are human roommates and Logan and Roman are borrowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had several requests to continue this, so here we are! I definitely have more ideas for this AU so keep an eye out for more :P

“You know, you don’t have to come with me every time,” Logan muttered.

Roman gave him a look that could only mean “are you serious?” and Logan frowned, leaning against the inner leg of the couch. Two weeks ago he was caught by the humans of the apartment, and even though both he and Roman were safely released, Roman still insisted on accompanying him on every borrowing trip. It, without a doubt, was freaking annoying.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” Roman said with a deadpan look, “but I can’t trust you not to get caught again.”

“I didn’t— look.” Logan took a deep breath, trying to not get too riled up. While he and Roman were hidden under the couch, one of the humans was in the other side of the wall in a different room, and he couldn’t afford to raise his voice. “It was a mistake. I admit it, I was too confident and I was caught, but it won’t happen again.“

“Bold words,” was all Roman said, eyeing the coffee table in front of them that held a bowl of candy left over from Halloween. 

Logan pressed his lips into a thin line before continuing, once again trying to keep his voice neutral. “You seem to feel that if for some reason one of us was in the hands of one of these humans again, it would be— as some put it— the “end of the world’.”

Roman turned to him again, amber eyes glinting in the low light flooding underneath the couch. “We escaped once, Logan, we can’t just hope it will happen again.”

Logan huffed in annoyance. Roman raised an eyebrow. “Roman, please. We didn’t escape. They willingly let us go.”

“No, they didn’t! I saved you!”

“We walked away and they watched us from where they easily could have stopped us.” Roman opened his mouth to argue, but Logan cut him off. “And even if you were right and they didn’t want us to leave, they at least took our departure well. From what we’ve heard, they haven’t told any other humans about our existence, and they haven’t put out any traps to catch or harm us. As far as we know, these humans are nearly harmless.”

Roman groaned, and Logan sent him a warning look. Roman at least had the decency to quiet down. Even if Logan didn’t believe the humans to be dangerous, that didn’t mean he WANTED them to be caught. 

Roman spoke again at a quieter volume. “Logan, this is why I need to go with you. I think... I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think you might try and talk to them or something.”

Logan immediately bristled. “What?! No!”

“Come on, Logan, even before the... incident... you’ve been way too interested in humans. I can’t even count all the times you’ve come home from a borrowing trip to tell me what the humans were doing or learning or whatever.”

Logan fumed. “They... it’s important to know their habits in case it may aid in our survival.”

“So why have I caught you reading their books at least six times?” Roman shot back. Logan went to argue, but Roman continued. “I know you want to learn about humans, and I’m getting the feeling you’ve, like, always wanted to talk to them. And now that you know they’re quote-unquote “harmless,” you’re going to try!”

Logan grit his teeth and crossed his arms. There were many things he wanted to say to Roman— all ranging from “I can’t believe you don’t trust me” to “you are much more observant than you let on.” A few moments passed before he exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’m not going to talk to any humans,” he said finally, suddenly wanting this conversation to be over.

Roman paused as if he expected him to say more, but he just sighed. “All right, Specs. Let’s just get this candy and get out of here.”

Logan nodded, grateful that Roman was dropping the subject, although he wasn’t unaware that Roman would be badgering him again the second they got home. Not wanting to waste any more time, he peeked out from under the couch to make sure no humans were around. Once he was certain, he and Roman darted out to the coffee table.

Logan pulled out his hook, spinning it around a few times before tossing it up the short distance. It caught onto the edge of the table, and once Logan gave it a tug to secure it, he scaled up the thread.

He climbed up into the glass surface, looking down to see that Roman was on his way as well. Logan glanced around warily— he had never been a fan of borrowing while humans could so easily walk in, but Roman had insisted on grabbing some of the candy they had set out, since it was rare to find it sitting out any other season than Halloween. Logan sighed in frustration. Even if Roman acted recklessly, Logan was the irresponsible one because he was caught _once_.

“What?” Roman asked in a hushed voice as he climbed up. Logan looked confused.

“What?” He whispered back.

Roman shrugged. “I don’t know. You had your annoyed face on.”

Logan cheeks reddened a little. He walked ahead of Roman, calling softly over his shoulder, “It’s nothing.”

“If you say so, Specs,” Roman mumbled as he caught up to him. The two approached the small bowl holding some type of candy Logan had never heard of before (but that wasn’t surprising, considering he and Roman didn’t come across sweets that often). The bowl was only slightly taller than them, so Roman didn’t have any trouble grabbing the edge of the bowl and hoisting himself up onto the edge.

Logan crossed his arms, stepping back as Roman leaned into the bowl to grab a piece of candy that was about a third of his size. Logan glanced at the doorway uneasily, knowing just how easy it would be for a human to walk in and see them. 

He pondered for a moment what to do. It was embarrassing to admit, but Roman was at least _partially_ correct. Humans were, without a doubt, fascinating. He had always wanted to know more about them— but he never thought he’d be able to, at least until he realized these particular humans weren’t a threat.

He shuffled his feet. However, Roman was wrong. He did not plan to speak to them. He may be fascinated, but he wasn’t an idiot.

Logan glanced up to see Roman drop down next to him, his red satchel stuffed with a piece of candy which barely even fit. Roman flashed a smile.

“Got it!” He crowed. “Let’s go.”

The two made their way down the table, Roman taking a little longer in order to keep his satchel steady. Once his feet hit the carpet, Logan ushered him along, casting a nervous glance at the door.

“Come on,” Logan muttered to Roman. “I think the human’s coming.”

Fortunately for them, they were already at the couch. They darted underneath, taking a moment to watch the door. No humans came.

Roman gave Logan a shove. “Come on, you spooked me for nothing.”

“You can never be too careful,” Logan said in defense. Roman shrugged in response.

Logan cast one more glance at the door. After a second Roman sighed, reaching out to clasp his arm and pull him along. Logan spluttered in indignation, and Roman only said back, “Let’s go, Specs.”

——

Logan stood on the human’s desk, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest.

Roman had warned against this. “_I’m fine,” _he had insisted, even though he could barely sit up in his bed. “_Logan, I swear if you try and talk to them—!”_

“_I’m just going to go get medicine for you, Roman. Just stay and rest,_” Logan had replied before nudging Roman to lay down. Roman had only let him leave once Logan promised him he wouldn’t try to talk to either of the humans.

Logan glanced uneasily at the door.

Well, some promises had to be broken.

He had wanted to go to the nice human for help— Patton, if he remembered correctly— but his room would have been too far of a walk. The purple-haired human’s room was closer, and Logan didn’t want to leave a sick Roman alone for too long. 

Logan froze at the sound of a door opening. As the human— Virgil— entered the room, Logan subconsciously took a few steps back.

He then bristled. This was for Roman.

“Excuse me,” he called.

Virgil jumped, understandably not expecting someone to talk to him in what he thought was an empty room. He glanced around the room for a second, looking startled.

“Ah, over here,” Logan clarified, cupping his shaky hands around his mouth. Virgil finally turned to him, his gaze falling on his small form. Logan pressed his lips into a thin line and tried not to flinch as the human grew closer.

“It’s— it’s you again,” Virgil said in surprise, thankfully keeping his volume at a minimum. “Patton and I didn’t think you’d come back.”

“Ro— my friend didn’t want me to,” Logan forced out, determinedly keeping the human’s gaze. _I forgot how big humans were. _After a moment he added, “We aren’t supposed to be seen by humans. However, I am in need of assistance.”

For a horrible second he wondered if this human would take his admittance of weakness as a chance to capture him, but he reassured himself that the humans already had that chance and didn’t take it. He did, however, take a step back closer to his exit hidden behind the desk.

Virgil’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“My friend is sick,” Logan began cautiously. “He needs medicine. I came here to ask if you could offer me any.” 

“Oh.” Virgil blinked. “Uh, yeah, I could go grab some Advil... I probably shouldn’t give you anything too serious, cause I don’t want to hurt him or anything. Er— unless you think he needs something else?”

Logan glanced at the ground, a little embarrassed. “Advil is a medicine, yes...?” Virgil nodded and Logan straightened up. “That would be satisfactory. We can handle how much to give him.”

“Sounds good.” Virgil still seemed a little dazed to see a tiny person on his desk, but Logan couldn’t really blame him. “I’ll just... go grab some.”

Logan nodded, crossing his arms as the human left the room. The second Virgil was out of sight he relaxed, taking a deep breath and trying to calm his nerves. “This is fine. He won’t hurt me,” he mumbled.

A minute or so passed before Virgil returned, giving a hesitant wave as he approached. He reached a hand out, but he froze at Logan’s alarmed expression. “Ah, sorry— just putting it down.” 

Logan nodded, his cheeks flushing. Virgil set two pills down before darting his hand back and stuffing both his hands in his pockets, a gesture that Logan appreciated. “Is that enough?”

“Y-Yes. I appreciate it.” Logan strode forward, scooping up both pills and taking a moment to stuff them in his bag. He subconsciously turned as he did so to keep Virgil in his sight. As he straightened up, he added, “ah... it is probably worth mentioning that my friend is not aware that I’m here. I’m not sure if that will affect any... uh, future encounters, but... I feel like you should know.” Logan gave a nervous shrug.

Virgil smiled hesitantly. “Gotcha. I won’t mention it...” he paused. “Actually, would it be okay if I told Patton? It’s— it’s okay if not!”

Logan rapped his fingers over his chin. “Patton is the other human, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t see why not.” Logan’s gaze flickered over the door. “While I’m here, I might as well ask— have you or Patton told anyone about our existence?”

“Have we told— oh, no, we haven’t.” Virgil shook his head. “I mean, for a few days we both kind of thought we imagined you guys, somehow. Besides, if we told anyone they probably wouldn’t believe us.”

“That’s logical,” Logan commented, tapping his foot. He knew he should leave, Roman needed him! 

But he may not ever get a chance like this again...

Logan pursed his lips, glancing over his shoulder. “Listen. You’re name is Virgil, correct?” He waited for Virgil’s nod before continuing. “Virgil, my friend may be suspicious of humans, but I believe that you and Patton could... perhaps... be trustable.” He shuffled his feet, watching as Virgil’s expression shifted to surprise. “Maybe. Perhaps. I haven’t decided yet. Nevertheless, I would just like to ask— if I were to leave, would you let me?”

Virgil looked alarmed, and almost a little hurt. “Of course! I wouldn’t keep you here.” He tilted his head. “But, um... thanks for trusting us?”

“Maybe,” Logan clarified. Virgil smiled.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“So,” Logan announced, “I will be leaving now to deliver these to my friend. Thank you for your assistance, Virgil.”

“No problem.” Virgil stepped back. “I hope your friend feels better.”

“Thank you.” Logan gave a short wave before backing up to the wall. Virgil had said he would let him go, so...

He met Virgil’s eyes one last time before grabbing the cord to Virgil’s lamp and sliding to the floor. He ignored how tall Virgil was from this height and ducked behind the desk, taking a deep breath before slipping through a crack into the wall.

He smiled triumphantly.

_Take that, Roman._

——

“I can’t believe you borrowed two pills without getting caught,” Roman said in surprise as Logan busied himself scraping off a minuscule piece of Advil. Logan glanced at his friend’s flushed face before shrugging.

“I suppose I was lucky,” he said, handing Roman the small piece of medicine and a tinfoil cup of water. Logan leaned against the wall as Roman took the medicine.

Roman set the cup on the floor next to his bed, which was a pile of red fabric. “Well, thanks. And now we have a ton of medicine, so that’s pretty cool. Man, I feel better already!”

“I was under the impression that it took several hours to kick in?” Logan said with a raised eyebrow.

“Maybe for you, Specs, but my body is made for adventure.” Roman pretended to punch the air before slumping his arms in exhaustion.

“That doesn’t even make any...” Logan sighed in amusement. “Okay. Get some rest, Roman.”

“Fiiiine,” Roman sighed, pulling a red scrap of fabric closer to him. “But trust me. Tomorrow I’ll be good to go.”

“Alright, Roman. Good night.”

“Night, Specs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this is gonna be a pretty casual book because none of my works are edited and stuff you know ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> Also! If you have any suggestions let me know, such as prompts or pairings!


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